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Customs trains officers on reputation, change management

CGC, Dikko Abdullahi

The Nigeria
Customs Service (NCS) on Monday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, began a three-day training
for its Public Relations Officers and some journalists on strategic
communication for effective reputation and change management.

The training
was in partnership with Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).

In his opening
remarks, the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, who was
represented by the spokesman of the service, Mr Wale Adeniyi, a deputy comptroller
explained that the training was put in place to empower officers in the area of
their specialisations.

He said that
the service had already in 2014 trained 4,140 locally, noting that 314 officers
were also trained outside the country.

The comptroller-general
added that said: “This time we are partnering with NIPR to improve the skill of
our public relations officers. We have the leadership in NIPR that has passion
for capacity building just as we have in the service.

“There is so
much change in the air. Everywhere we see evidence of change.”

Edema who
delivered a paper titled: “Strategic Communication and Management,” said that
there was need to know their audience.

He added that
the audience served as foundation of a communication strategy.

Edema stressed:
“To achieve the goal, one should influence the voluntary behaviour of target
audience which will improve the chances of success of development project.
Communication also disproves false beliefs and misconceptions.”

He stressed the
need to consider the management decision in the communication analysis and
planning.

“The management
decision involves communication research plan, budget, time line Capacity
building component.

“Situation
analysis will be considered to be communication research, what the real problem
is and who is being affected,” Edema said.